Agile has taken root in many organizations' software development teams to deliver more value to customers faster. Scaling Agile: empowering team members across the enterprise to use Agile frameworks and methodologies to reshape the way work is being done and enhance the products or services rendered to end-users is a great start.
Furthermore, according to research, Agile transformation can cut time to market by at least 40%. It's not just about creating more efficient teams when scaling Agile; it's also about separating the company from the competitors.
Scaling Agile helps boost Agile principles horizontally and vertically beyond software development and IT to the rest of the industry. Scaling Agile can have huge benefits at all levels of an organization. Still, it also comes with more challenges than the relatively simple process of implementing Agile in a single team.
Let's take a look at what scaling Agile entails, the fundamental problems that companies face when scaling Agile, how to achieve those challenges and the benefits of effectively scaling Agile.
What would "agile scaling" imply?
Scaling Agile is assigning well-known Agile methods such as Scrum and Kanban to larger groups of people. According to the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), conventional Agile teams work the best with groups of five to eleven people.
Businesses often want to build on the success they see in these small groups in a bigger team, department, or organization. This is where Agile scaling comes in.
How to Resolve Three Common Agile Scaling Challenges
It's one thing to inspire and implement change in a small group; it's quite another to change how an entire organization thinks and works. When scaling Agile, even the most sophisticated Agile software development teams and forward-thinking businesses face challenges.
Culture shift
Scaling Agile necessitates a shift in how entire organizations think, act, and respond in every area, from work planning, management, and completion to employee engagement. That shift will take time and effort, but most importantly, it will require leadership commitment.
Work management shift
To scale, a cultural shift is required. Agile align the organization around the idea that people want to do their best work and provide the most value to customers. Businesses must change their work management approach to allow value to flow to make those principles a reality.
Conventional work and project management methods begin with a predetermined scope and estimate the time and resources required to complete it. This concept assumes that organizations can reduce risk and increase success by defining requirements in advance.
Technology shift
Finally, companies attempting to scale Agile must consider their technology stack. Increased visibility, transparency, and information flow are required and created when scaling Agile across the enterprise. For the most part, this entails assessing and possibly augmenting or replacing technology solutions.
Concluding
Scaling Agile extends Agile from software development to the rest of the company and broadens its impact. Companies can enact substantive change at every level when they are united under a common framework: individuals are more engaged, productivity and morale, and organizations see the real, top-and bottom-line impact. Scaling Agile has its obstacles, but the benefits can be transformative with the proper framework, strategy, and technology.
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